Three productivity tips that trump the rest

In this video a couple of Fast Company editors chat about their productivity issue, and why productivity is such a hot topic right now. Leadership editor Kathleen Davis says this speaks to something great about human nature, “that we always want to be a better version of ourselves.[…] People are looking for ways to get more done and have more important things to show for their lives.” It’s a good chat, though are we really, as they suggest in the talk, all “suddenly obsessed” with productivity? David Allen’s Getting Things Done was published in 2002. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was published by Stephen Covey in 1989, and there were Ben Franklin’s 13 virtues which he developed back in 1726. Perhaps they mean productivity culture is gaining more popular appeal outside of business and technology circles? What do you think?

In any case, Davis provides a very useful insight by boiling down all of the productivity hacks she’s encountered in her role at Fast Company to three core ideas:

1. Get up an hour early.
2. Leaders/managers need to learn to delegate.
3. Consciously unplug for periods of time to get things done – we can’t multitask.

I have found all three of these ideas useful in my own business and personal life.